Being an International Student in Surrey

My grandfather started Coache Collision Ltd. in 1975, and my father began working there in 1985, as a collision estimator.  My grandfather retired in 2008 leaving the company to my dad, who has owned it since then.  I had only worked at the company in the summer during high school washing cars and cleaning the shop.  After graduating high school, I jumped from job to job; never really happy with the different fields of work I was in.  In January 2012 I went back to Coache Collision and started to do more than just wash cars, enjoying everything that I did.  I soon came to the realization that this is where I belonged, and the career path I had chosen was to follow in my grandfather and father’s footsteps and join the family business.

To advance to the Collision Estimator position at Coache Collision, I was required to take a course related to the work I would be doing.  After doing some research and reading many online reviews, I decided to enroll in the Auto Body Collision Estimator program at the Automotive Training Centre in Surrey, BC.  This would prove to be one of the best decisions I have ever made.

The topics covered in class and the knowledge handed down were made easy to understand, and there was no stone left unturned.  Even my dad, who has been in the industry for 28 years was astounded at the amount I was learning, and the rate at which I was learning it as well.  I was even able to teach him a few things he didn’t already know!

Immediately, within the first week of the class, I was excited to learn, comfortable with the environment and my fellow classmates, and extremely confident in my instructor, Ward MacDougall.  Ward has found a way to make the classroom a fun place to be, whilst packing in copious amounts of knowledge at the same time.  His teaching methods and the way he conducted himself inside and outside the class were outstanding, and he had done for me what no other teacher had ever done before, he made me love coming to school in the morning to learn.  All of the staff at ATC were extremely friendly and accommodating, making me feel comfortable every step of the way.

It’s April 2013 now and I am happily working with my dad in the family business as a Collision Estimator, and loving every minute of it.  The transitions between work and school couldn’t have been smoother thanks to the work of the ATC staff, and my incredible instructor Ward.  I would highly recommend ATC without hesitation to anyone looking to go into the Automotive Industry.

Thank you to all the staff at ATC and especially Ward MacDougall for making my learning experience a pleasure, and helping to jump start my career.

Graduate, Auto Body Collision Estimator program, 2013,

Taylor Tietze